Inflatable protective bag

ABSTRACT

An inflatable protective bag includes a housing sack, a gasbag, an inflation means, a check valve and a deflation valve. The gasbag is attached to an inner surface of the housing sack. The inflation means communicates with the gasbag through the check valve. The deflation valve is located on the gasbag. When the housing sack contains goods, air can be injected into the gasbag by the inflation means through the check valve to inflate the gasbag to provide resilient protection for the goods from being damaged. The air can be released from the gasbag by pushing the deflation valve to facilitate removing of the goods. Thus the inflatable protective bag can provide protection as desired.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bag for holding goods and particularly to a bag to provide protection of goods held inside.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to protect goods from being damaged during transportation, a conventional approach is using a bag lined with an elastic filler inside to hold and protect the goods to cushion impact. To make protection effective, the elastic filler has to be substantial in quantity and evenly distributed. This results in a greater size and makes storage of the bag difficult. Moreover, loading the goods into the bag also is cumbersome.

To remedy the aforesaid drawback, a handbag 1 equipped with an airtight bag 2 inside is being developed as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The airtight bag 2 is communicated to a nozzle 3. When in use to hold goods (not shown in the drawings) in the handbag 1, the goods is loaded into the handbag 1 first; then inject air into the airtight bag 2 through the nozzle 3 to inflate the airtight bag 2 to protect the goods. When to remove the goods, release the air from the airtight bag 2 through the nozzle 3 so that the airtight bag 2 is shrunk, then the goods can be easily fetched.

In the aforesaid conventional technique, air (not shown in the drawings) is injected into the airtight bag 2 through the nozzle 3. The nozzle 3 has a round orifice 5 insertable by a plug 4. During inflation, the plug 4 is removed and the round orifice 5 is blocked by a user's mouth or an air injection means (not shown in the drawings) to inject air. After the bag is inflated, user's mouth or the air injection means is quickly removed and the plug 4 is inserted again. To inexperienced users, the time elapsed between removing the mouth or the air injection means and inserting the plug 4 could cause leakage of considerable amount of air from the airtight bag 2. Thus air pressure in the airtight bag 2 is lower and results in undesirable protective effect. Moreover, the conventional airtight bag 2 is located outside the handbag 1. It is not aesthetic appealing and easily broken by scraping with outside objects and makes protection of goods ineffectual.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable protective bag that can be inflated and deflated easily to improve usability.

To achieve the foregoing object, the inflatable protective bag according to the invention includes a housing sack, a gasbag, an inflation means, a check valve and a deflation valve. The housing sack has a housing space with a surface holding the gasbag. The inflation means communicates with the gasbag and generates air to be injected into the gasbag. The check valve is interposed between the inflation means and the gasbag to allow the air entering the gasbag one way. The deflation valve is located on the gasbag to release the air from the gasbag.

The structure thus formed allows the inflation means injecting air into the gasbag. The deflation valve can release the air from the gasbag. Operation is simple and can be easily used by ordinary users. Through the inflation means and deflation valve, the air saturation extent of the gasbag can be adjusted easily to provide optimal protection effect according to varying requirements of different goods.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a conventional inflatable handbag.

FIG. 1B is a fragmentary enlarged view according to FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the inflatable protective bag of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the inflatable protective bag of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the inflation means of the invention.

FIG. 5A is a schematic view of the structure of the check valve and deflation valve of the invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic view of the invention showing an air injecting condition for inflation.

FIG. 5C is a schematic view of the invention showing an air releasing condition for deflation.

FIG. 6A is a schematic view of structure of the one-way valve of the invention.

FIG. 6B is a schematic view of the invention showing the one-way valve in an air intake condition.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the inflation means of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the inflation means of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the inflatable protective bag according to the invention includes a housing sack 10, a gasbag 20, an inflation means 30A, a check valve 40 and a deflation valve 50. The housing sack 10 has a housing space 101. The gasbag 20 is located on the surface of the housing space 101. The inflation means 30A communicates with the gasbag 20 and generates air to be injected into the gasbag 20. The inflation means 30A may be located on the surface of the housing sack 10 communicating with the gasbag 20 through an air duct 31.

Also referring to FIG. 5A, the check valve 40 is interposed between the inflation means 30A and the gasbag 20, and has two membranes 41 each has a bonding portion 44 at two sides bonded together through high frequency to form a passage 42 between them. The passage 42 communicates with the inflation means 30A and the gasbag 20. The passage 42 has one end close to the inflation means 30A with at least one contact surface of the two membranes 41 coated a release layer 43. More specifically, the check valve 40 is interposed between the inflation means 30A and the air duct 31 to allow the air entering the gasbag 20 one-way. The passage 42 communicates with the inflation means 30A and the air duct 31.

Also referring to FIG. 5A, the deflation valve 50 is located on the gasbag 20 to release the air from the gasbag 20. The deflation valve 50 has an air release button 51, a channel 52 and an elastic element 53. The channel 52 communicates with the air duct 31 and extends to the surface of the housing sack 10. The air release button 51 is located in the channel 52 and pushed by the elastic element 53 jutting outside the surface of the housing sack 10 to close the channel 52. When the air release button 51 is pushed to compress the elastic element 53, the channel 52 is opened.

Referring to FIG. 5B, when the inflation means 30A is in use to inject air, an airflow 90 is generated to stretch the two membranes 41 coated with the release layer 43 so that the airflow 90 passes through the passage 42 and air duct 31 to enter the gasbag 20. The air passing through the check valve 40 and entering the gasbag 20 cannot stretch the two membranes 41 without being coated with the release layer 43, thus is retained in the gasbag 20. As a result, the gasbag 20 is inflated to provide resilient protection effect.

Referring to FIG. 5C, to release the air from the gasbag 20, push the air release button 51, the elastic element 53 is compressed and the channel 52 is opened to communicate with exterior; then the airflow 90 passes through the channel 52 and discharges from the gasbag 20.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6A, the inflation means 30A may be an elastic gasbag with a one-way valve 60 located thereon. The one-way valve 60 has a holding seat 61A, an air stopper 62 and a stopper seat 61B. The holding seat 61A has a sliding chamber 64 with an air vent 63 formed at one end communicating with the inflation means 30A and the other end communicating to the exterior. The air stopper 62 is retained by the stopper seat 61B which is coupled to the holding seat 61A, and slidable in the sliding chamber 64 to close the air vent 63.

Also referring to FIG. 6B, when the inflation means 30A is compressed, the air pushes the air stopper 62 to close the air vent 63 (referring to FIG. 6A), the air enters the gasbag 20 through the air duct 31 (referring to FIG. 5B). When the inflation means 30A is released, the air stopper 62 is moved away from the air vent 63 due to air pressure of the airflow 90 and then opens the air vent 63 so that the air enters the inflation means 30A through the air vent 63 to allow the inflation means 30A returning to its original shape.

Referring to FIG. 7, when the inflation means 30B is an elastic gasbag, instead of forming a one-way valve 60 as previously discussed, an opening 70 may be formed thereon. When the inflation means 30B is compressed, the opening 70 may also be closed by a user's hand to form an effect same as the one-way valve 60.

Referring to FIG. 8, the inflation means 30C may also be a bag filled with a pliable, elastic and porous material 80 such as sponge. Then the opening 70 may be closed while the inflation means 30C is compressed to supply the air. When the inflation means 30C is released the pliable, elastic and porous material 80 provides a returning force to suck external air through the opening 70 to allow the inflation means 30C returning to its original shape.

As a conclusion, the present invention can inject air into or release air from the gasbag 20 through a simple operation. It can be easily used by ordinary users. Through the inflation means 30A, 30B or 30C and the deflation valve 50, the saturation extent of the gasbag 20 can be adjusted to provide optimal protection effect according to different goods. 

1. An inflatable protective bag, comprising: a housing sack having a housing space; a gasbag located on the surface of the housing space; an inflation means communicating with the gasbag and generating air injected into the gasbag, a check valve interposed between the inflation means and the gasbag to allow the air entering the gasbag one way; and a deflation valve located on the gasbag to release the air from the gasbag.
 2. The inflatable protective bag of claim 1, wherein the inflation means is located on the surface of the housing sack communicating with the gasbag through an air duct.
 3. The inflatable protective bag of claim 2, wherein the check valve is located between the inflation means and the air duct.
 4. The inflatable protective bag of claim 3, wherein the deflation valve has an air release button, a channel and an elastic element; the channel communicating with the air duct and extending to the surface of the housing sack, the air release button being held in the channel and jutting outside the surface of the housing sack upon elastically pushed by the elastic element to close the channel, the channel being opened when the elastic element is compressed by the air release button.
 5. The inflatable protective bag of claim 3, wherein the check valve has two membranes bonding together to form a passage therebetween to communicate with the inflation means and the air duct, the two membranes having at least one contact surface coated with a release layer at one end of the passage close to the inflation means.
 6. The inflatable protective bag of claim 1, wherein the check valve has two membranes bonding together to form a passage therebetween to communicate with the inflation means and the air duct, the two membranes having at least one contact surface coated with a release layer at one end of the passage close to the inflation means.
 7. The inflatable protective bag of claim 1, wherein the inflation means is an elastic gasbag having an opening.
 8. The inflatable protective bag of claim 1, wherein the inflation means is an elastic gasbag having a one-way valve.
 9. The inflatable protective bag of claim 8, wherein the one-way valve has a holding seat, an air stopper and a stopper seat; the holding seat having a sliding chamber which has an air vent at one end communicating with the inflation means and the other end communicating to exterior; the air stopper being retained by the stopper seat which being coupled to the holding seat and slidable in the sliding chamber to close the air vent.
 10. The inflatable protective bag of claim 1, wherein the inflation means is a bag filled with a pliable, elastic and porous material. 